In Iranian family drama Leila’s Brothers, 40-year-old Leila (Taraneh Alidoosti) has spent her life working a miserable job at the employment office – one of the many ways she cares for her old, sick parents with whom she lives.
When her most responsible brother, Alireza (Navid Mohammadzadeh), returns home after leaving his factory job due to corrupt bosses failing to pay him, she forces him on the path to start a business with their other brothers: Parvis (Farhad Aslani), Farhad (Mohammad Alimohammadi), and Manouchehr (Payman Maadi).
Director Saeed Roustayi develops highly complex backgrounds and personalities to unpack the damages of poverty: whether that be the obesity and alcoholism that are repercussions of Parvis’ struggle to support his five daughters, or the desperation to survive that drags Manouchehr into high-risk Ponzi schemes. Leila believes that if her family can scrape together money to pay to turn a tiny mall bathroom into a shop, each of her brothers will generate an honest and reliable income.
Second-hand frustration emerges during Leila’s relentless attempts to convince her brothers to make rational monetary decisions, especially considering the fully covered young woman capped from financial success and sidelined at cultural events in a nation with discriminatory practices and laws towards women. Leila’s built-up anger reveals itself throughout the movie, particularly her anger towards her father, Esmail (Saeed Poursamimi), who is driven more by his craving for approval among his wealthy cousins and uncles than by caring for his children.
With sparkly, wilted eyes and a bushy, white mustache that hovers over a toothless smile, it is easy to love Esmail. Even his consequential lies and brash decisions seem to be excused by his insatiable desire to be accepted by the men of his extended family. When his cousin Gholam dies, Esmail is unexpectedly asked to become patriarch of their family. This honor of ultimate respect comes with a price: 40 coins. 40 coins could pay for the shop Leila and her brothers so desperately need.
The struggles that each of the characters of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival awardee stems from poverty. The allocation of those 40 coins fuels fights and hatred, even though there is a clear love within the family. Money prevents Esmail from acceptance by his peers, prevents Leila from leaving her parents’ home, and ultimately causes even greater tragedy.
The display of sibling love and support is heartwarming, reminding the American audience in their highly individualistic society what it means to be selfless. Whether it be careless dancing at the family wedding or alarming self-awareness, humor and joy are sprinkled throughout the movie.
While the profoundly emotional movie is banned in Iran, at least international audiences can glimpse some of the hardships money, classism, and gender discrimination causes in Iran through the exhausted eyes of sidelined Leila and her lovable but defeated brothers.
8th Annual Indie Meme Film Festival, April 12-16 in person, April 28-May 1 online. Passes, individual tickets, and info at indiememe.org.
This article appears in April 14 • 2023.